As a cornerback at the University of Colorado, Wheatley's game plan was grounded in Boulder.

"I probably didn't think about the NFL until the middle of my senior year," Wheatley said Wednesday. "I was so focused on being the best that I could be in college and wanting to be the best that ever came through Colorado that I never thought about it."

So, Wheatley didn't spend any time sizing himself against Peyton Manning. He wasn't dreaming of midseason matchups against the Colts, and he never pondered the explosive powers of Indy receivers Marvin Harrison and Reggie Wayne.

"Never thought about that," Wheatley said. But I'm thinking about it now."

With Ellis Hobbs (shoulder) and Lewis Sanders (hamstring) sitting out practice on Wednesday, it appears that Wheatley and fellow rookie Jonathan Wilhite will to continue to see more time in the Patriots secondary.

If that's the case, then New England will have to trust an inexperienced group to deal with one of the game's all-time great passers and his compliment of Pro Bowl-caliber receivers. Now that his mind is tuned in to NFL football, Wheatley said he's excited about the challenge.

"It's a challenge, but it's fun," Wheatley said. "Why not go against the best? It definitely sees where you're at. I mean, everybody, you definitely have confidence, but you want to test that. You want to see how good you are. And so, why not play a team like the Colts that has two of the best receivers? I love it."

Although the Colts have struggled to a 3-4 record this season and Indy's passing game is ranked an uncharacteristic ninth in the league, members of the Patriots defense said this is still an offense that deserves respect.

Hobbs said you can expect Manning to be at his best with his team facing adversity mid-way through the season.

"They can go out there and put points on the board at any point in the game," Hobbs said. "Peyton's a great quarterback. I think this is the time where he shows his true self as far as rising to the occasion."

Hobbs said he's advising the rookies to be ready for a load of veteran tricks from Manning.

"Expect everything," Hobbs said. "And prepare yourself as much as you can. And even when you think you've prepared yourself enough, and you're saying that you think you have a route covered, you never have a route covered tight enough. Peyton can make that comeback throw. He can make the deep ball. He can fit it into tight coverage. Things like that. You have to play for 60 minutes against him."

Safety James Sanders said there's only thing that could prepare the rookies for their first game against Manning.

"Just thank God that they played against Tom (Brady) in training camp," Sanders said. "Because those are arguably the 1 and 2 (quarterbacks) in this league. For them to experience (Brady) in training camp, I think that's going to help a big deal."

Wheatley said his game has grown from practice sessions against Brady and wide receiver Randy Moss.

"Tom and Randy, I can't show them the same thing every time," Wheatley said. "They'll eat me alive. So, you've got to be able to change it up.

"In college, you didn't have to do that. You could line up, and your physical ability would take over, but on this level, going against a team like the Colts, you can't do that."

Instead, the Pats have to keep Manning guessing.

"You just can't give him the same look every time," Wheatley said. "You've got to go out there and disguise coverages. You can't line up in the same thing every time. Even if you're running the same coverage as last time, you've got to make it look different."

With his snaps increasing in recent weeks, Wheatley said he's adjusting to the NFL. What's important, he said, is keeping the game as simple as possible.

"You've just to have confidence, relax and play," he said. "At the end of the day, this game's the same game we've playing since we were kids. You can't make it terribly complex. It boils down to just making plays, reading your keys, playing with good technique and just relaxing and having fun."